Afforestation of agricultural peatland

Challenges: In Latvia, ~0.2 million hectares of cropland and grassland are on peat soils, emitting GHGE (4.1 million tonnes CO₂ eq./year). Conversion of cropland to less intensively managed grassland has limited impact on soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. Afforestation has shown significant GHG mitigation potential on cropland and grassland, turning peat soils into net carbon sinks.

Solutions: Co-creation and knowledge transfer will enhance motivation of landowners to become a (peatland) carbon farmer, confident in their nature-based solutions. Low-hanging fruits for GHGE reduction will be identified via existing institutional and infrastructural grids. 

Outcomes: Value chains based on paludiculture at the regional level reduce conflict between climate action, sustaining rural income and nature conservation goals. Turning LU on drained peatlands to paludiculture will reduce GHGE by ~20 t CO2 eq/ha/year.